H4 Hardy excessive steam

[Hawnt]

I'e been running my Hardy going on 15 years, this year I've noticed excessive steam coming from the condenser stack and at the base of the smoke stack, water also collets on top of the unit. Also at the end of the heating run, the overheating valve(upper left corner) spills out very hot water, maybe a bucket. I replace the aquatstat with no effect. What is my next option or fix?

 

[leon]

I'e been running my Hardy going on 15 years,
This year I've noticed excessive steam coming from the condenser stack and at the base of the smoke stack.
Water also collects on top of the unit. Also at the end of the heating run, the overheating valve(upper left corner)
spills out very hot water, maybe a bucket. I replaced the aquastat with no effect. What is my next option or fix?

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Do you have a digital triple aquastat on this wood boiler or a mechanical triple aquastat?

The digital triple aquastats I had on my boiler both failed and I replaced them with a honeywell
L8124L1011 mechanical triple aquaststat and a McDonnel & Miller RB122-E low water cut off as the first electrical control
that will shut the boiler off completely in the event of a low water condition.


If you have a closed system on this Hardy the next thing to do would be to replace the pressure relief valve as that may be most of the problem as they will not seal properly if they have been blowing off.

What are your high limit and low limit aquastat settings? What is your dump zone temperature setting on your L6006A aquastat?
What is the temperature differential setting on your L6006A?(the white wheel).

 

[Hawnt]

======================================================================================================

Do you have a digital triple aquastat on this wood boiler or a mechanical triple aquastat?

The digital triple aquastats I had on my boiler both failed and I replaced them with a honeywell
L8124L1011 mechanical triple aquaststat and a McDonnel & Miller RB122-E low water cut off as the first electrical control
that will shut the boiler off completely in the event of a low water condition.


If you have a closed system on this Hardy the next thing to do would be to replace the pressure relief valve as that may be most of the problem as they will not seal properly if they have been blowing off.

What are your high limit and low limit aquastat settings? What is your dump zone temperature setting on your L6006A aquastat?
What is the temperature differential setting on your L6006A?(the white wheel).

No ditigal thermostats, running a Honeywell L4006A Aquastat.
My Hardy is set up with auto fill, I don'
t have low water problems.
I'm looking for a new valve now, since you brought that up this blowoff of steam and hot water may be he source of my excessive steam.
See the attached pics.

 

[leon]

I am not trying to spend your money:

but you have quite a bit of corrosion on your L4006A and the base of the housing. The blue color on the copper tube is from water damage and dielectric corrosion and age that breaks down copper.

You should change both it and the sensor well as the sensor well may be covered with lime buildup affecting its ability to transmit the water temperature to the thermocouple bulb.

A relief valve from a plumbing supply house is not very expensive, you just have to have the right length and you need to take the old one to with you along with the old L4006A to replace them and the existing sensor well with a new sensor well.

Be doubly sure to not use any sealant tape or paste on the sensor well threads as this will affect the sensor wells ability to transmit the water temperature to the single aquastat sensor bulb.

What is your differential setting on the white wheel of the L4006A?

 

[hondaracer2oo4]

You said you have steam coming from around your flue? This is caused by the failure of the flat plate that is welded around the flue pipe on the inside of the water jacket which has silicone on it which seals the plate to the water jacket to seal in any steam. Either the plate has broken the welds around the flue or the silicone failed. Mine steamed like crazy after my silicone failed. To fix this pull off the outer cover then reMove the top of the water jacket. Rechaulk the plate and reverse the pieces back onto the unit. You will be back in business. This is a common problem.

 

[Hawnt]

You said you have steam coming from around your flue? This is caused by the failure of the flat plate that is welded around the flue pipe on the inside of the water jacket which has silicone on it which seals the plate to the water jacket to seal in any steam. Either the plate has broken the welds around the flue or the silicone failed. Mine steamed like crazy after my silicone failed. To fix this pull off the outer cover then reMove the top of the water jacket. Rechaulk the plate and reverse the pieces back onto the unit. You will be back in business. This is a common problem.

Leon, the Honeywell Aquastat that I have is L4006A2023,the differiantal is fixed at 0F.
The pic of the Aquastat was the old one, look at the larger pic you will see a nice shiney new one.

 

[leon]

Ah, now I see it :^).

So you control the beast with one aquastat that opens on contact to cut off the squirrel cage blower.

I have seen Axeman Anderson and Electric Furnace Man(EFM) coal stokers controlled with two separate single aquastats for the high limit and the circulator(s) with the house thermostat.

 

[Hawnt]

Ah, now I see it :^).

So you control the beast with one aquastat that opens on contact to cut off the squirrel cage blower.

I have seen Axeman Anderson and Electric Furnace Man(EFM) coal stokers controlled with two separate single aquastats for the high limit and the circulator(s) with the house thermostat.

Exactly

 

[Hawnt]

You said you have steam coming from around your flue? This is caused by the failure of the flat plate that is welded around the flue pipe on the inside of the water jacket which has silicone on it which seals the plate to the water jacket to seal in any steam. Either the plate has broken the welds around the flue or the silicone failed. Mine steamed like crazy after my silicone failed. To fix this pull off the outer cover then reMove the top of the water jacket. Rechaulk the plate and reverse the pieces back onto the unit. You will be back in business. This is a common problem.

Do you have any pic/instructions on how you get the cover off. I've searched in internet with no luck, I guess that I should check the areas your referring to. I have Hardy H4.

 

[maple1]

Do you have any pic/instructions on how you get the cover off. I've searched in internet with no luck, I guess that I should check the areas your referring to. I have Hardy H4.

I googled 'hardy h4 manual' and first hit was the manual.

Which seemed to have info inside about this.

 

[hondaracer2oo4]

The manual doesn’t have the directions to reseal the area that I am referring to. They talk about silicone around the chimney pip on the exterior. I called hardy and they told me what I needed to do. Give them a call.